Garbage or ash can lock lid



Oct. 6, 1953 ms 2,654,623

GARBAGE OR ASH CAN LOCK LID Filed June 21, 1950 Fig./

J- Huggins INVENTOR.

BY 2mm Ossian Patented Oct. 6, 1953 GARBAGE OR ASH CAN LOCK LID Ossian J. Huggins, Pensacola, Fla., assignor of twenty-five per cent to William C. Kimberl, Jr.,

Pensacola, Fla.

Application June 21, 1950, Serial No. 169,422

1 Claim.

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a garbage or ash can lock lid and more specifically pertains to an improved locking device of general application for removably securing the covers to certain types of cans such as garbage or ash cans.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a locking construction for the covers of certain types of cans having a rolled bead or rim at the upper end thereof, for enabling the can cover to be more securely fastened to the can and to facilitate the unlocking and removing of the cover therefrom as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a locking device in conformity with the foregoing object wherein the operating mechanism for the locking arrangement is adapted to be mounted upon the customary lid handle of a can for convenient operation by the user with the palm of the hand gripping the lid handle.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide a can cover locking arrangement which shall be specifically applicable to those types of cans in which the can cover has a depending rim inclosing the upper bead at the top portion of a can, in accordance with conventional practice, and whereby the looking device shal1 engage the rim of the can when the rim of the cover is in proper position.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention applied to a conventional form of can and cover for the same;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the arrangement of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 1, the locking position of the device being shown in full lines, and the released position of the locking mechanism being shown in dotted lines therein; and

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of Figure 3.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, it will be seen that there has been illustrated a can indicated generally by the numeral In, which may be of any conventional design or type, that illustrated being suitable for use as a garbage can or an ash can, it being extremely desirable that the lids of these cans shall remain firmly closed during use of the can, yet shall be easily released in order to obtain access to the interior of the can.

The can It is provided, preferably at its upper end with a rolled bead IE or rim, which is customarily employed both to strengthen the upper edge of the sheet metal walls of the can, and also to provide a means for tightly receiving the rim of the cover in embracing relation. The principles of this invention, however, are not limited to the use of a can having a bead, since any suitable locking projections, either formed integrally with the can, or provided as an original part of the same; or any desired type of-projection could be separately applied to the can.

for the purposes of this invention.

The conventional can further includes a cover or lid l4, having the customary lid or cover handle 16, and having a depending rim I8 whose lower end is provided with a rolled bead or the like 20' for reinforcing purposes. Preferably, as pointed out hereinbefore, the rim I8 is intended to frictionally embrace and engage the rim l2 at the top of the can In for establishing a frictional sealing engagement at this point.

It is to a can and cover assembly of this type that the principles of this invention are specifically applicable. Attached to the upper surface of the cover handle IS in any desired manner is an upwardly extending tubular sleeve 22 whose upper end is open as shown in Figure 3 and provided with a bottom 24 as shown in Figure 4. This bottom is provided with suitable drain openings 26 aligned with corresponding apertures in the handle I6 for a purpose which will be later set forth.

A second tubular sleeve 28 is slidingly and telescopingly received over the sleeve 22, this second sleeve being closed at its upper end by a member 30 constituting a locking handle, and whose exterior surface will be appropriately shaped to fit the contour of the palm of the hand. A compression spring 32 is housed between the telescoping sleeves 22 and 28, this spring being seated at its upper end upon the interior of the locking handle 30 and being seated at its lower end upon the bottom 24 of the sleeve 22. The compression spring thus yieldingly urges the locking handle 30 away from the lid handle I6, but may be collapsed when the two handles are squeezed by the hand of the user, for the purpose of releasing the locking device as set forth hereinafter. The apertures 26 permit air entrapped within the sleeves to escape upon compression of the spring thereby permitting the sleeves to telescope within one another.

Preferably permanently attached to the looking handle 30, as by hinges 34, are a pair of connecting members 36 which are preferably metal straps or the like, these members being thus pivotally connected at their upper ends to the locking handle. At any convenient point, and preferably adjacent their lower ends, the members 36 are guidingly and slidingly secured to the upper surface of the cover I4 by brackets 38 in the form of straps which are welded or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer surface of the cover I lin order to constitute guides and retainers thru which the connecting members 36 are slidably received.

The lower ends of the connecting members 36 are provided with hooks 40, whose ends are adapted to engage the bead or projection I2 on the can H] for locking engagement therewith. In order to permit this locking engagement, the rim 3 of the cover is provided with suitably placed hatches 42 through which the hooks may be moved to selective locking position, as shown in the full lines in Figure 3, or to releasing position as shown in dotted lines therein.

From the foregoing, it will now be seen that by squeezing together the locking handle and the lid handle, the parts may be moved from the full line position shown in Figure 3 to the dotted line positions therein, with the hooks positioned outwardly of the cover rim and its openings 42, whereby the lid may be applied to or removed from the can as desired. Upon release of the handles, the spring 32 will cause the hooks to engage thru the apertures 42 upon the locking projection, which is the bead 12, to securely lock the cover to the can.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described and disclosed the invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination, a lid for a can and a locking assembly for locking said lid on a can, a lifting handle mounted on the central portion of said lid, guide loops adjacent diametrically opposite edges of said lid, and said lid having edge apertures adjacent said guide loops, an upstanding coil spring on said handle, a compressing member engaging the top of said spring for pressing the same downward toward the handle, straps secured to said compressing member and passing through said guide loops, hooks on the free ends of said straps passing through said edge apertures to engage the rim of a can and lock the lid thereto, downward movement of said compression member moving said hooks out of engagement with said apertures.

OSSIAN J. HUGGINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 857,746 McCall June 25, 1907 1,093,282 McCall Apr. 14, 1914 1,197,560 Smith Sept. 5, 1916 1,233,361 Houston July 1'7, 1917 1,308,533 Smolarski July 1, 1919 1,363,632 Wolak Dec. 28, 1920 2,032,742 Eiserman Mar. 3, 1936 2,153,916 Dunbar Apr. 11, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 38,086 Holland Mar. 15, 1936 185,950 Germany Nov. 6, 1906 

